Folding display rack



Jan. 1, J. P. (SPANG FOLDING DISPLAY RACK v Filed March` 27, 1934 2Sheets-Sheet l 25 InvenToT.

Uoseph PSpong byfwmw Jan. 1, 1935. J. P. sPANG FOLDING DISPLAY RACK 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 27, 1934 T. Omo .mu BPM m5 ,pw h` p e S w W...mw 6

ous other advantageous '.teatureswhich willbe Patented `Jan.` 1, 1935UnirsefsTAfr invention relates to a foldingldisplay rack and has for itsobject to provide a novel device] of this type whichis, simple in`,construction and inexpensive to manufacture and whichhasvarisubsequently pointed" out.J 1

In the drawings:y f E Fig. 1 is a perspective view illustrating`afolding display rackembodyingmy invention; ,i

Fig. 2 is a view showing rthe rackfolded; f Fig` 3 is an enlargedsection on the line 3 3, Fig. 1with parts broken out; Fig. 4 is afragmentaryside view withparts broken out; L Q11' :r Fig..5 is afragmentary`s ectiona-l viewshowing the upper hinge connection for theend'members; Fig. 6 isla section on the liner 6%6, Fig. .4; Fig. '7 is asectional viewshowing thelmanner of securinglthe placard-.supportingstrips in place Fi g 8 is a fragmentaryfjtoppmnzveW, of the back andoneend member; i y

The display rack is of that type which comprises aback member to whichshelves arehinged and two end members also hinged to thegback member andadapted when in their operative position to support the `shelves at theends ibut capable of being'. folded against .the back, member-when therack is in its foldedcondition. The back. member is constituted by astrip` of angle iron Whichx-is bent into a general U shape topresent'the two side portions 1 and 2 and the top or bridgeportion 3..The sides l and 2 and ithetop-portion 3 arelthus integral with eachvother. ThisU-Shaped angle iron structure is suitablybraced bybracemembers 4 and-5 which cross'each other and each of which extendsfrom the top of one side tofthe `bottom of the other side. 'I hese brace{members arerig.-

idly secured at -their endstothefside members 1 Each tie rod '7 hasnuts, 9 screwthreaded thereto agar Yt the back member when the displayrack strip 12 thatis-formed at its end with a loop 13 that encirclesthe-tie rodi?, y

Thei endgmembers which support the shelves in vtheirhorizontalor'operative position are vin-L- dicated generallyat 14l and15. Each en'd'memf.

the top: .cro ss member 1'7 anda rear,vertically-V `extendinghingemember18.' The` leg member vertical leg may be made straight or; the upper`portion. thereof mayl be inclined rearwardly slightly as Ashown at20,.the,latter being the construction herein shown.

The rear hinge membenlfis in `the. formlof Ta f strip of. metal which=isspot weldedor .riveted at its :upper end to therear rendof the member 17and is connected to thefront memberlfby means., of cross bars -21, said:barsalso functioningv as shelf-supporting bars; "These cross bars 2lcan Abegspotpwelded or rivetedto `the .hinge member; 18, a`ndtheffrontleg 16 of the end members thereby making rigid end members oftheskeletonlype. p j 'f i s -fI'heghinge connection between each'end memeber 1 4 and 15 ,and the back is constituted by. two trunnions'22, 23formedA at'thetop" and bottom of each hinge member18. Thetrunnions 22ex'- tend Vthrough openings formed in the horizontal leg24 of.; the top.member3 of the back ,as seen in Fig. 5; and thelower trunnionsn23.- arereceived .inftheloops in the bearing brackets 25. which aresecured totheinside-faces of the Lforwardly-extendinglegs 8 .adjacent the lower endsthereof. Thes e. bearing brackets maybe-inthe form vof metal strapswhich are rivetedorspotfweldedto the legs Sandgthe ends of which larebent. into loop. formation' tofreceive 'the'.trunnionskv makes asimplebut'effective ywaybfl connecting theend members'141and 15to theback; e Each shelf 11, except* the top shelf; is provided; at each end:Withxa doWn-turnedflip'261adapted to embrace.thecorrespondingcross bar2l as best seen. in Figs. 1 and 4, said lips ythus notonly,providingmeans for supportingthe'shelf 5in-its hora izontal positionbutgby the engagement with :the outside of the bars .#21 ,preventing theends Y1 4, 15 from i swinging outwardly. Atithe :front end each shelf311. except thetop .shelL-Lis :formed tol nt between therearwardly-extending legs 27 of the front posts 16 as shown in Fig. 3,and when the shelves are in their horizontal or operative position, saidshelves co-operate with the end l0. ber is formed with `a" f ront postor leg portion .16', y

members to hold said members in their shelf-` supporting position and toprevent the end members from swinging either inwardly or outwardly.

The top shelf is long enough to rest on and be supported by thehorizontal flange 29 of the upper member -17 of each-end and the frontedge of the top shelf is shown as bent downwardly slightly,

as indicated at 28, thereby covering or overlying the corner 19 of theend member.

When it is desired to fold the display rack; vth'eV shelves can be swungupwardly sufficiently tol dis-1 engage the lips 26 from the cross bars21 and the.

end members 14 and 15 may th'en be swungbutwardly sufficiently to allowthe shelves tofdrop down into their folded position. After kthis is donethen the end-members: may be swung inwardlyagainst the folded shelvesasshown in Fig. 2 and by the dotted lines in Fig.73. f y The horizontalflanges 19 of the upper member l1'7 are bevelled so v-that vthey arenarrower at the rear end adjacenty the pintlel22 as shown at 30 in Fig.8. The rear'corner of the top shelf 11 is also bevelled or cut away asindicated', at 44'in Fig. 8. The purpose of'this'is'to provide aconstruction by which ay relatively small outward movement of the endmember from its normal shelf-supportingposition will clear 'the flange29 from the top shelf` so as to allow the top shelf to be foldeddownwardly. This is illustrated in Fig. 8 wherein the end member 14 isshown in full lines in its shelf-supporting position and in dotted linesin a position which Vpermits the top shelf to be folded. .l

When the display rack is to be erected the end members '14 and V15 willbe swung outwardly somewhat beyond their normal shelf-supportingposition and thenv the shelves may be swung upwardly, after which theends may be brought inwardly to a position to permit the lips 26 to beengaged with the cross bars 21. As stated above, when the display standis erected the co-operation of the shelves withv the end members 14 and15 serve to lock the end members from swinging movement ineitherdirectionthereby making a relatively stiff and rigid structure. 32indicate placard-supporting strips i which may conveniently be of ymetaland which are adapted to be secured to the front posts' 16 directlybelow the front edge of each shelf. Each placard-supporting member isconstructed to support a placard which gives some data, such forinstance as the price, concerning the articles displayed on thecorresponding shelf. These placard-supportingstrips 32 are Yshown asbeing detachably secured tothe posts-"6 through suitable fasteningdevices 33, those herein shown having ahead 34 and a bifurcated stemwhich extends through an opening in the strip 32 Tandan opening 37` inthe front leg 35 of the posts 16, the ends of Veach part of thestembeingbent outwardly as shown at 36. Each yplacard-supporting strip 32has portions 38 struck up therefrom which formloops .adapted 'to embracea placard 39 on which the desired data regarding the articles on displaymay be printed. These placards can thus be readily changed as the goodson the .shelves are changed f i Y' The back of the rack is provided withtwo yuprights or projections 40 which carry an upper placard-supporting4member 41, the latter also having the loopportions 42 to receive aplacard 43 bearing data descriptive of the goods on display.

When the display stand is to be folded the placard-supporting strips 32will be removed, the construction of the fastening "devices 33-permitting this to be Vreadily done. 'f f I claim: l. A folding displayrack comprising a back member formed from an angle iron bent to presenttwo upright portions and an upper connecting portion, a hinge membersecured to the lower end of .each upright portion, two end members eachhaving a pintle at its lower end received in the corresponding hingemember and a pintle at its upper end received in an opening in thehorizonltal angeof .the top member of the back, each end member havingshelf-supporting bars, and shelves lpivoted to the Vback member, eachshelf having at each end alip to overlie the top and Aouterfac'e of l ashelf-supporting bar.

2. A display rack comprising a back member, shelves pivoted thereto tofold 'downwardly thereagainst, two .end members also pivotedto the backmember to fold against the folded shelves, each end'memberfhaving 'anangle iron front portion, a rear hinge portion and shelf-supporting barsconnecting the angle iron front portion and hinge portion, each shelfhaving at each end a lip to overlie the top and outer face of 'thecorresponding "shelf-'supporting bar, the front portion of each shelfbeing confined between the rearwardly-extending legs 'of the angle ironfront portions of 'the end members, whereby the shelves hold the endmembersV from swinging inwardly and the lips von the shelves not onlysupport the shelves but hold the end members from swinging outwardly.

3. A display rack comprising a back member, shelves pivoted thereto tofold downwardly thereagains't, two end members also pivoted to the backmember to fold against the folded shelves, each end member'having afront post portion, a rear hinge portion and shelf-supporting barsconnecting the post portion and the hinge portion, the frontportion ofeach shelf when in operative position beingboni'ned between the two postportions and 'thereby preventing inward swinging movement of said endmembers, and the ends of the shelves-resting on'and having interlockingVengagement with the shelf-supporting bars and thereby preventing outwardswinging movement of saidvv end members. y

4. A display rack comprising -a back member formed from a metal stripbent to ypresent two upright portions and an upper connecting portion,ta hinge member secured to the lower end of each upright portion, twoend members each having a pintle at its lower end received in thecorresponding hinge member, and a pintle at its upper endv reoeived'in-an opening in the upper connecting portion of the back member, each endmember having shelf-supporting bars, and shelves pivoted to the backmember and adapted to fold downwardly thereag'ainst, each shelf havingat each end a detachable interlocking engagement with theshelf-supporting bar by which the shelf is supported, 'whichinterlocking engagement serves to prevent the end member from outwardswinging movement.

JOSEPH P. SPANG.

